The Democratic Divide

Please ignore the sound bites!! For those who don't know, when Obama speaks about change, he's speaking from the point of view of an achiever. In his first year in the Senate, he passed an ethics reform bill that curbs the excesses of lobbyists. Hillary voted against some of the provisions that would have made this bill stronger and yet critics acknowledge that it is indeed the toughest reform since watergate.That's change! As a state legislator, he reformed the death penalty in Illinois in the wake of DNA tests exonerating innocent people. That's change! One more unique thing about Obama is that at least twice in his lifetime he sacrificed higher paying jobs to serve people -- first as a community organizer after graduating from Columbia and as a civil rights attorney after graduating from Harvard. My friends, it is not hard to see how all these qualities combined have given us a sense of the type of president he'll be -- one that will sacrifice for the greatness of America!!

Eleanor,
What a refreshing observation. I watch you every Sunday on the McGlaughin Group. I was upset once with you when you referred to Obama as cerebral. But I think you have hit it on the nail with this piece. Talk about dividing the party: Witness the skudgery in News Hampshire, when the Clinton campaign sent out mailers malgining Obama's abortion rights record. The whole fiasco seemed to have caused a division in the NARAL group up there -- prompting some of the signers on the original letter to come out today calling for a truce. One of the women said she was misled and apologized. Some of Obama's supporters are still fuming, and say that if Hillary is the nominee they won't support her in the general. Because of the actions of both Clintons, come November, there may really be a divide in the Democratic Party. This is very unfortunate.

It is simple. There must be an understanding between Hillary and Obama, that whosoever gets the nomination, the other will be the vice presidential candidate. That combination will be invincible during general election. Besides the heated exchange that is prevalent right now will subside. The earlier such an agreement, the better it will be, failing which the continuing spar between the two may lead to irreparable damage.

After the constant stream of media spin this week creating drama and conflict between these two out the three front runners, it makes me want to give up on the entire process. If this election is "about hurrying history" it is because of sensationalist bs like this article which deduces what should be a discussion about real policies that affect Americans on a daily basis into a bunch of blather about race and sex. Our choice shouldn't be based on who is going to capture the attention of the African American community as this article suggests. Rather it the responsibility of the media to report on actual issues, not hackneyed rhetoric about the battle over which minority makes it into the Oval Office first. The candidate that will unite the democratic party is the one that is going to be the voice of those that cannot speak for themselves. John Edwards has demonstrated his fortitude by making his way to the top despite raising less money and a significant deficit in media attention. Isn't it about time everyone gives him the respect he deserves rather than focusing solely on the exaggerated conflicts between Hillary and Obama?

You know, this is not a nice world. Positicians are made to live in glass houses. Everything they have ever done or said is public fodder. Some of the public, THE MEDIA, like to make sensational stories to sell their wares. Get this, neither Clinton ever said anything about race!!! It was speech taken out of context and blown up by the media to create a sensation. Anyone gullible to fall for that is not a thinking person. Bill, the First Black President, Hillary that has fought for human rights both here and around the world for decades which now Bill has taken up the cause? Do you really think they would be so stupid to shoot themselves in the foot like that? Now Barrack is a nice guy. A really good speaker too. According to this publicly recorded experience, he was a nice guy in the senate as well when he voted 129 times "present" Something he did not like about the bills but did not want to ruffle feathers so did not vote against it. A president is not the know all, be all in government. They have a congress that writes and passes laws. It is this congress that is supposed to represent the people. But the president can than accept the bill or veto it. How will this work with Barrack O'Bama?

Barack Obama was the only one that didn't vote for the war. I also don't see how when Clinton's camp is the only ones slinging mud, that everyone thinks she will change and unite everyone? Obama may be new, he may be young, but at least he is a true change and thats what I want. i don't want the same old Washington that we have had for years. With Clinton we get the same old Washington. With Obama we get change. when

Aren't Americans tired of the musical chairs? I know I am and if we want change then why on earth do we need Clinton in again? From Bush to Clinton to Bush to Clinton? "Time for change" is this elections slogan so I don't understand how 20+ yrs back and forth between the same group of people gives us an option of change. Furthermore, not one of the democrats nor republicans have made any changes worth anything. Oh wait, they were too busy passing laws that wil force families (includes low-income which they claim they want to help) to have to purchase cable or other devices to be able to continue watching regular tv on their analog sets. Much more important than making "worthwhile" changes BEFORE becoming pres.

a great example of how biased the media has gotten. there were never racial remarks ... they were just remarks twisted and turned into racial, the "fairy tale" remark made by president Clinton, couldn't be more appropriate, because just like a fairy tale we are being "sweet talked" into ideals that hardly represent a reality, every candidate in the past 20 years has run on "change" including our current president.

How exactly is that "change" and "hope" are going to be brought about?. I don't see the State of Illinois having any great change or hope to count for, the only big full of hope change is the all famous ethics reform, which is totally pointless since any member of the Senate can still get their little gifts as long as they're standing up. As for Senator Edwards, well his biggest accomplishment is the "patients bill of right" which never passed and never even got .
So besides talking about "records", lets also talk about what each of the candidates has gotten done during their time in washington.

Whenever we are being told a "tale" where there are no realities except a happy ending for everyone..with all due respect it is called a "fairy tale"

BUSH-CLINTON-BUSH-CLINTON. Please America can do better than that.!!! This is not a monarchy, the United States is a republic.

I have never heard or seen a better speach by a laeder in our country in my life. I am 38yr old political geek and the Obama speach gave me chills. I was proud to be an american again. I must say after the fear tactics of the Clintons days before N.H... I don't if I could vote for Clinton in November. She wants it too bad and is thinking of herself.. NOT THE COUNTRY! This 38yr white male from Minnesota who has voted for a dem in every election since 88 might just skip voting for president this time. I really don't like the clintons anymore.

Great obsevation made here. I think Obama came into this race without the baggage of Washington politics, but you can't help being dragged into it when Hillary Clinton's 35 years of experience brings this baggage of Washington experience with her. I wish Bill Clinton should have stayed home and shut up and let Hillary be the one running for presidency. Right now the world doesn't know who is running for White House, Bill or Hillary. In my opinion, they are only helping Obama in the end.

Obama is a rare leader. He is visionary and embodies the real aspirations of the people. I really don't understand where Hillary's 35 years of experience comes from. She has served in the senate for only 7 years and if she thinks she can run on Bill's records, then the democrats will face a crushing defeat in the fall. In that case, the general election is going to be about everything that went wrong under Clinton and Hillary will not be able to untie her self from "35 years of bringing change".

Great obsevation made here. I think Obama came into this race without the baggage of Washington politics, but you can't help being dragged into it when Hillary Clinton's 35 years of experience brings this baggage of Washington experience with her. I wish Bill Clinton should have stayed home and shut up and let Hillary be the one running for presidency. Right now the world doesn't know who is running for White House, Bill or Hillary. In my opinion, they are only helping Obama in the end.

Ok, seriously do we really want another Clinton in the president seat? All I hear is how dems blame the Bush admin. for all the bad things that's been going on, yet none of them have looked to themselves to really solve these issues. Want change? Then lets turn the music of in this game of musical chairs between Bush vs. Clinton and actually vote for change.

Obamites are delusional and blind. Obama put out the word early in his career that he was in play. Why do you think he has all the bucks flowing in. And the establishment endorsements? Meet the new boss, same as the old boss!

This Democrat ain't buying it. I like Clinton. I like Obama. I like Edwards. For that matter I liked Richardson, Biden and Dodd as well. Anyof these nominees makes a great Democratic candidate and the party will be behind the winner. Conflict is what sells so the media is always going to try and find it.

LET'S BRING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND THE NATION TOGETHER AND VOTE OBAMA-CLINTON '08!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LET'S QUIT FIGHTING ABOUT WHO'S BETTER. BOTH BARACK AND HILLARY HAVE THEIR GOOD AND BAD POINTS. BOTH ARE CAPABLE LEADERS AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO INITIATE CHANGE THAN TO CHANGE THE ENTIRE FACE OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN AS PRESIDENT AND A WOMAN AS VICE-PRESIDENT? IMAGINE IT!